Dragon's Blood Tree, Socotra Dragon Tree
Dracaena cinnabari
13 years from fingerling-sized seedling of this close relative to the more prevalent Dracena draco. The plant has more than doubled in size in the last year with moderate fertilization for 1st time.
I have a question on this. What are the differences of Dracaena cinnabari to D. draco? There tends to be two dracos I find around SoCal. Ones like at Quail Botanical Gardens, that have shorter, thinner leaves. And the ones that most nurseries have, the dracos with the wider, longer leaves that are also less erect toward the trunk. If I look at the photo you posted, I would have said draco, as it looks just like the ones commonly seen.
I have asked many draco experts why the difference. They have no one answer. It is either the original seed has difference, or environment. More water, etc... So it is not a variation worth noting in nomenclature.
Anyway, I know you bought seed and raised this, but are you able to identify this as true cinnabari, and not draco somehow OTHER then trusting the seed supplier?
Thanks!
This plant, as with the other that is near it came from arguably the most reliable, well-documented, as well as one of the oldest and prestigious succulent Nurseries in the U.S.
I didn't raise it from seed. But bought it as a seedling from Dave Grigsby Nursery in Vista.
It is relatively unusual to cultivation. I haven't visited Quail Gardens in 20 years. At that time I don't recall seeing this plant although they did have draco.
It hasn’t flowered, I expect it to flower next season. Most of the half dozen or more dracos in our gardens began flowering within 10 years from the time seedlings were placed in the gardens. These dracos were perhaps pampered a bit more than these cinnabari plants have been.
Cinnabari has a different leaf habit than draco, in that the leaves are tend to be more strict. They appear to be stiff and they are quite a bit moreso than draco.
Whether this plant should be at species status is a question for a botanist/taxonomist, of which I am neither. At a mature tree-size I expect it to have strict form as compared to the more recurved drooping we see from lower leaves of draco trees.
One other difference worth mentioning is that many of the draco seedlings that pop-up in the gardens, are easily recognizable as draco and these cinnabari seedlings had unique differences from them from the beginning. Sublte striated-coloring is nearly always visible in the less-than-strict leaf structure of draco juveniles. I've never observed the striated-colors in the cinnabari seedlings.
Beyond those features, I haven’t looked closely enough to know anymore about differences. You have probably heard from others or read on a website more than I know about it.
I have yet to read legitimately-published botanical documentation on the subject, although I am sure such documentation exists.
bob
:>)
This message was edited Dec 7, 2006 2:31 PM
Have you looked at the photo of the plant growing in the UCLA garden (1st one under this plant)? That plant, also young, is about 5' tall, and its leaves are very strict, as tHistlesifter noted, and they also seem longer.
Hey Bob, I was not beating you up. I was asking for my own education. The cinnabari's I have seen tend to look like the one PB pointed out at UCLA. More rigid and mushroomed then your pic. Like this one:
http://www.rareplants.de/shop/uploads/images_products/6525.jpg
I have no doubt yours is D. cinnabari as you have a reliable source. I was just amazed how close they really can look. Especially when you consider the geographic range difference. It was not like some bird ate a draco seed thousands of years ago and just happened to fly to a small island off Yemen 1000's of miles away. :)
Are you a dragon tree guy? If you are, you should check out Dracaena ombet. I have never seen one in person or have even found a source for seed, but I have talked to others and they say it more majestic then even the draco.
Wow, that's a great looking plant... never seen one of these for sale anywhere, but I will keep looking.
You are are aware of its brother though. You added it to the PF DB. :)
Dracaena serrulata
Webnt,
The specimen you linked looks nothing like mature Cinnabari in situ.
This merchant is selling 6-7"" Cinnarari seedlings for 99.90 Euros. these have fewer than 7 leaves.
here is a better link to the site:
http://www.rareplants.de/shop/product.asp?numRecordPosition=1&P_ID=6525&strPageHistory=&strKeywords=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=421
Here is another link to a very mature cinnabari:
http://www.cropwatch.org/dragonsblood.htm
Here are in situ images from the mountains of Socotra Yemen. These appear to be enormous trees shot from a great distance.
http://www.biologie.uni-rostock.de/wranik/socotra/pictures/8.4.JPG
Note that all these appear to be "pruned" to the same distance from the ground. Probably are pruned by domesticated livestock, cows and goats.
The plants we see in the U.S. seem to all be about the same age. I suspect these all have differences that exist in nearly all immature lush-grown seedlings.
Most of the differences are due to varying conditions presented to the juvenile plants and are primarily horticulturally induced differences. e.g. the shaded condition of the UCLA specimen has caused it to be slightly etiolated compared to full sun grown plant. Thus the leaves appear to be more sparse. The specimen I posted is the lusher of the 2 specimen that I put out the same time. It is in a position to get more nutrient from fertilizer runoff and more spacious root room with plenty of runoff from above it on the hill. I expect in another 10 years it will look a lot more like the in situ specimens .
Mine have more than doubled in size during the last growth period last summer. Similarly juvenile dracos don't look much like the mature flowering plants. Especially if they are grown lush.
bob
:>)
Some day I will need to get your address and hope for an invite to see your plants. I have followed your pics/garden one the various forums. :)
